Wrong Idea (So Wrong, It's Good #4)

Prologue

prologue

Carver ‘Car’ Storm

“Mr. Storm?” My eyes shut the moment I heard the breathy high-pitched voice on the other end of the phone.

“Yes, Nicole?” I droned, making my annoyance clear. The new manager I’d hired was a pain in the ass. A major one. One I most certainly didn’t need nor want.

I hired her because she’d seemed like a determined woman. Too bad she seemed determined to corner me at every possible turn and work her way into my pants. I might not have a type, but I didn’t screw employees.

Never had and never would.

Unfortunately, according to my brother, our HR guru, I couldn’t just fire her like I wanted to. Owning a chain of high-end hotels and coming from a family that was more than well-off was never easy. There were days when I had to admit I was tempted to walk away from the day-to-day of things and retire.Take it easy like our brother Grant liked to do.

And I could do that. Easily. Money wasn’t an issue. I could be on a boat floating happily in the Mediterranean or bumming it up on a beach on the West Coast. Instead, I worked what felt like twenty-four/seven, three hundred and sixty-five days a year.

According to my brother, I did it to myself.

I was a micromanaging dick who needed to learn how to delegate shit. That was easy for him to say. He didn’t have the pressure of a new location weighing on his shoulders. I’d purchased The Crown way below asking and was determined to change it into a five-star luxury ski resort instead of the rundown shamble it was. Not only would it be the jewel of my portfolio, but I knew what building something like this could do to the small mountain town of Moonlit Pines. My brothers had talked me into this place. The two of them had been chomping at the bit tobuy the old ski resort in hopes of renovating it into something beautiful and help the small town come back from all the economic hits it’d taken through the years.

“I was wondering if we could have a performance evaluation.” Nicole’s annoying voice snapped me out of my thoughts. “Maybe tonight?” There was no hiding the breathy insinuation she attempted. I cringed. The woman was relentless, and not in a good way.

She was trying to slip her way into my bed, and I wasn’t interested. Not only did she work for me, but I didn’t do relationships. I hadn’t been in one in over two decades.

“Your performance evaluation will be held in the conference room with HR present first thing in the morning,” I informed her sternly.

“Well, I was just––“

“I know what you were doing, Miss. Bell,” I cut her off, keeping my tone more than stern. “And it is highly inappropriate. Consider this your first and only verbal warning. From now on, I would prefer our communication to be via email. Thank you.” With that, I hung up. I didn’t have time for her, or anyone, really.

I’d made a life for myself and my family. Built on the little nest egg our parents left us when they passed.

I stepped into the spa area of the resort and headed to their breakroom, all while ignoring every little detail I wanted to change. That would come soon enough. It was actually the next thing my crew would be working on once they were done with the rooms in the east end of the resort.

If it had been up to me, I would have demolished this whole space. Not that it wasn’t nice. The wood was solid and worked with the mountain aesthetic. But the old flooring needed to be ripped up, every wall needed a new coat of paint, and equipment needed to be updated.

About the only thing I didn’t want to change was whoever made the coffee here. It was the best cup I’d had in a long time. A million times better than the one Miss Bell insisted on making in the main break area by my office.

I’d just finished pouring myself a cup of coffee, mentally going through the list of things I had on my itinerary, when my brother walked in, his nose stuck behind an iPad as usual. Before I knew it, my distracted youngest brother, Harrison, bumped into me, too consumed by whatever was on the screen to notice I was standing there.

“Shit!” I cursed, making him snap out of reading whatever the hell he was reading. Somehow, I managed to hold my coffee out to keep it from spilling and splashing all over me. Unfortunately, his open-faced, cream cheese bagel landed on my black dress shirt.

Cream cheese side down.

“Shit! Carve,! I am so sorry, man! I didn’t see you.” When he pulled the bagel off me, my eyes shut as I breathed in deeply. “Relax, Car, it’s not that bad.” I opened them and looked down.

“Harrison,” I growled. It was worse. Smack dab on the middle of my chest, I had a ring of cream cheese. “Jesus, do you put a whole tub of cream cheese on your bagel?” I growled. I could feel my blood pressure rising.

“It’s not that bad.” He rolled his eyes. He didn’t get the list of things I needed to get done and how I didn’t have time to go up to my room to change.

“What the hell are you looking at anyhow that has you that distracted?” I asked. Harrison was great at what he did, but the guy was also easily distracted. It seemed out of the three of us, I was the only one who knew how to focus.

“It’s nothing.” He set the iPad down and reached for a paper towel. Before I could stop him, he tried to wipe the cream cheese off my shirt, only making matters worse. A muscle beneath my eye twitched.

“This is all I needed this morning,” I growled, and he winced. “I have a meeting with the construction crew who are working on redoing the rooms in the east end. I don’t have time to head down to my place and get a new shirt!” I shared.

“I know.” He sighed. “Oh! I have an idea.” He turned and hurried away. I turned my back and headed to the sink. Before I turned the faucet on, he returned with a navy-blue polo in hand.

The same one our employees wore as a uniform.

“Here!” He handed me the shirt; I looked down at it like it was going to bite me.

“I can’t wear this!” I exclaimed. I knew how childish and snobbish I sounded.

“Why?” he asked and rolled his eyes. “You think you’ll break out in a rash if a shirt’s not tailor-made for you?” he teased. “Or are you more afraid to look like everyone else?”

“Harris,” I growled. Jesus, I missed Grant. My middle brother was the only one who knew how to keep Harrison in line. “You know that’s not why,” I clipped. My head started to throb.

“Breathe, man. Jesus, you’re going to give yourself an aneurysm. It’s fine. Put it on and later, when things settle down, you can go get one of your designer duds. I promise you won’t get a rash, and if you do, I’ll buy you some aloe to help with the itching.” I shook my head, and he rolled his eyes.

“Sometimes, Carver, you need to learn to take yourself less seriously.” He was one to talk. If I were the youngest without any real responsibility, maybe I could walk around like nothing mattered.

“And maybe you need to learn to take some things more seriously,” I responded like an asshole. Harry looked at me, his brows bunched together like I was crazy, and scoffed.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? My entire job is taking shit seriously. And I’m here. With you. Turning this place into the jewel of your fucking portfolio one day. Not like Grant,” he defended, and I knew he was right.

He might be the youngest and sometimes distracted, but he wasn’t aloof. He wanted The Crown to sparkle as much, if not more, than I did. Ignoring me, he walked to the trash can, tossed the bagel, then poured himself a coffee.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, feeling like an ass. “I was a dick.”

“Yeah, you were. But what’s new on that front,” he mumbled under his breath. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.” He didn’t meet my gaze before he turned and walked out. I looked at the polo shirt in my hand and unbuttoned my shirt then took the messy one off and pulled the new polo on. I had started to rinse my dress shirt off in the sink when I heard Nicole’s voice down the hall.

“Are you sure you haven’t seen Mr. Storm?” she asked god only knew who. I ran my fingers through my hair and was about to walk out and deal with her when it hit me . I don’t want to deal with her.

Trying to put off that conversation, I quickly stepped into one of the spa rooms. I’d just shut the door when I remembered I’d left my dress shirt in the sink.

“Shit,” I whispered under my breath. When I turned, it felt like I had been punched in the gut. I could only see her back, but I knew she would be beautiful. Tiny and curvy with an ass in those jeans that tempted me to bite the side of my hand to stop myself from groaning like an animal. What the fuck is wrong with me? I wondered.

She turned and confirmed I was right.

The woman was beautiful.

Shoulder-length, wavy almost curly hair that swayed with her movement. Olive-toned skin with a face of a goddess and the sweetest little birthmark I could have sworn was the shape of the tiniest little heart on her cheek, below her right eye. Her dark eyes widened, and she made a squeak-like sound when she noticed me.

“Can I help you?” she asked softly, her hands still toying with the top button of her blue and black buffalo plaid top. But my eyes dropped, stuck on her chest. Her beautiful, perfect, overflowing chest.

Mine, a voice in my head whispered. One word I didn’t understand but felt all the way through my body.

Mine, it repeated. I shook my head. I felt dizzy and little off kilter. What the hell was in the coffee?

“Sorry, umm—“ I was no longer the grown forty-two-year-old man who had most of his shit together. No, something about the sound of her voice and the sight of her had me fumbling over my words like some kind of tongue-tied teenage boy. Me. The man who could walk into a board meeting and not break a sweat at killing a million-dollar deal.

“Was I taking too long?” she asked. Her hand relaxed against the hold of the front of her shirt.

“What?” I rasped.

“I’m sorry! I got a little nervous and in my head. Time must have slipped past me…” she kept rambling, but I didn’t mind. Not when the sound of her voice did things to me.

Shit, when had I last felt this alive?

All from hearing someone speak?

“No, I’m sorry, I should have knocked,” I finally spoke up. Was it just me or did her gaze drop to my lips? “I’m Car, by the way,” I introduced myself, and when she smiled, I felt it in my chest.

Mine , a voice I’d never heard hushed its claim. Mine.

“I’m Max,” she blurted, extending her hand, and for some reason, I took it. The soft heat I felt from the casual caress made my dick wake up. “Maxine, actually, but everyone calls me Max,” she rambled and, fuck me, I was smitten.

“Nice to meet you, Max.” I shook her hand and hated having to let it go.

“Oh. Umm, did you and Kelsie switch?” she asked, and I blinked. My brain tried to process her question, all while not over frying itself from the gorgeous sight she made. Kelsie is one of the massage therapists, I remembered quickly and cleared my throat.

“She had an emergency. I’m taking over.” The words slipped past my lips, and there was no way I could take them back.Not one way at all! What the hell do you think you’re doing? a voice shouted in my head as it waved red flags. I should get out. Leave and run down to my office and forget that such a creature existed.

She had distraction written all over her. That was the last thing I needed.

“Oh, is she okay?” that sweet voice rang, and I swallowed hard. I couldn’t believe how staring at a woman could make me feel so unhinged and alive all at the same time.

“Yeah,” I croaked out, “She’s peachy. I’ll step out and let you change,” I suggested. Okay, good! Get out and head to your office. We don’t date! And we’re not a massage therapist!

“You don’t have to,” she said, and when she stepped forward, it was like my feet were nailed to the ground. The gorgeous woman reached for my wrist, and my nose flared as zips of electricity rushed up and down my body. All from a simple touch.

“I don’t?” My voice cracked like a pubescent teenage boy.

“Maybe just turn around?” Turn around? What the hell! The temptation was too damn big. It was like my head was yelling at me to leave, rush out of there and get ack to work, but my heart and body said the opposite. Maybe it was my fault? It’d been a while since I’d gotten laid.

“I can step out and?—“

“If you do, I might not do this,” she whispered. I stilled. It was almost like I could feel the nervous energy radiating off her.

“Why?” I leaned in just a little closer, completely captivated by her.

“I’ve never been, umm, nude in front of anyone, and I didn’t realize how nerve wrecking this could get.”

“You’ve…” My eyes roamed up and down her body. “Never…” I couldn’t get the rest of the words out. Her face was a bright shade of pink.Did that mean she was a virgin? How could someone so beautiful be untouched?

“I mean, my doctor, but who hasn’t, right?” she cracked a joke, but I could see it in her eyes. The nervousness and tension.

“Breathe,” I found myself ordering, captivated by the way her eyes widened. But she did as I told her. “Good girl,” I praised. That bloom on her face brightened. I tangled our fingers together, loving the way her small delicate hand fit in mine.Something inside of me suddenly wanted to hear her call me something else than my name.

“You want a massage?” I asked, and she nodded.

I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I’d never given or received a massage. People went to school for this, for fuck’s sake. How hard can it be? a little voice chimed in. She’s gorgeous. You give her a little rubdown and that will be it, it whispered. You know you want to spend more time with her. Maybe give her some much-needed relief. She won’t know the difference!

“Okay,” I nodded, letting go of her hand. “Underdress and get under the sheet,” I ordered. “I’ll turn around; you’ll just let me know when you’re under the sheet and ready to go.”

“Okay.” She smiled almost gratefully up at me. “Thank you,” she added. Like a bastard, I turned around, letting her believe this was normal. Professional. Almost like I was doing her the favor. I was a dick. There was nothing professional about the shit running through my mind.

My heart felt like it was about to pound out of my chest as I stared down at my shoes. When my head rose, my eyes widened when I realized I was standing in front of a mirror. One that was directly in front of my beautiful girl.

My beautiful girl? She wasn’t mine.

I shook the thought away, but I couldn’t tear my eyes from the mirror. It was like they were glued there. Something about the beautiful little pixie called me like no one ever had before. The reflection of her standing behind me, her dainty little hands reaching for the hem of her shirt before she pulled it up and over her head, exposing her back and the strap of a lacy bra. I swallowed hard and tried to come up with baseball stats, anything to calm my dick that was suddenly coming to life.

The back of my teeth mashed together as my hands fisted at my sides. I breathed deeply and tried to get a hold of myself, but fuck, it was hard. I was hard all fucking over. I couldn’t tear my gaze off her reflection. Especially not when she reached behind her and took her bra off. She folded that and her shirt, setting it on a chair next to the massage table. When she stepped out of her jeans, her plump ass cheeks bounced so beautifully my palm itched to smack them just to see them dance for me one more time. Spank? I’d never wanted to do anything like that. I forced my eyes down to the ground and kept them there. I heard her move around the room and closer to the table.

“Should I be face up or down?” her sweet-as-honey voice asked, and my brain went blank. It was an easy question.

“Down,” I replied, not sure why. She moved, her feet shuffled around, and then the table shifted as she settled her pretty, little body on top. My Adam’s apple bobbed as my dick strained against my slacks.

What the hell was wrong with me? When was the last time I’d ever had this kind of reaction towards a woman? Never. Not once.

Sure, I’d had my share when I was younger. Dating had never been tough. I wasn’t conceded; I just knew I wasn’t a bad-looking guy. But nothing had ever stuck. Not with how work and making our hotels what they were today had always been my priority.

When she told me she was ready, I turned and blinked. How the hell did I find myself in this situation?

There, on the massage table, lay the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Someone I most definitely hadn’t planned on and didn’t need at that moment. My eyes drifted from her and towards the door. I could walk out and pretend I’d never seen her.

Go back to living my life without knowing such beauty existed.

I took a step, my head yelling at me to get the fuck out of there, when she turned. Her dark eyes met my blue ones, and I froze. She smiled so sweetly, so innocently, my heart had no choice but to crack wide open for her. I had no idea why the pull I felt towards her was so visceral, so strong, but I couldn’t deny it.

“I did it!” she whispered, her eyes glittering with joy like she’d just run a marathon. “Thank you.” She licked her lips, and I was a fucking goner. But as if that wasn’t enough, she kept talking, shaking not just my heart but my soul. “I don’t think I could have been brave enough to do all this without you.”

Her words tugged at my heart.

I hadn’t done anything, and she was giving me credit I didn’t deserve. I’d lied to her, letting her believe I was a trained masseuse when I wasn’t. Had even snuck a peek at the delicious curves that lay covered beneath the black sheet draped over her body.

I hadn’t touched her yet. I could get out and order someone else to take care of her. The thought alone made me see red. The idea of someone else’s hands on her, regardless of them being a man or woman, didn’t settle well with me.

No, you can’t , my realistic heart murmured. She’s yours. You can’t walk away.

She was mine.

All I knew about her was that her name was Max and this was her first massage, first time undressing in front of someone who wasn’t a medical professional, and more than likely a goddamn virgin. I had no idea how old she was or where she was from. Hell, she could be living on the other side of the planet for all I knew, here on vacation.

But she was mine.

And I’d just lied about who I was.

Fuck.